Holiday Classic Day 1: D’Iberville upsets top competitor, Gulfport guard shines
Day one of the famed Gulfport Holiday Classic lived up to the hype as eight teams collided in Bert Jenkins gym for a dizzying day of high school basketball on the Coast.
The festivities began with a thrilling battle between Picayune and Wayne County that ended in dramatic fashion in favor of the Maroon Tide.
Sandwiched between Picayune and D’Iberville’s upset win over Meridian was a marquee matchup between Harrison Central and Yazoo City and a furious comeback by Gulfport over Moss Point.
Here is the full report from round one of the tournament.
Player of the day
Zay Gill, Gulfport
When Gulfport needed a bucket, Gill delivered. The senior guard entered the day as the team’s leader in scoring at just over 11 points per game. Against Moss Point, Gill delivered a 30-piece.
Of his 30 points, 16 came in the second half and 11 in the fourth quarter.
Gill was perfect from the free throw line and filled up the stat sheet across the floor. He finished with seven rebounds, seven steals and four assists.
D’Iberville upsets Meridian
Meridian arrived in Gulfport with a 12-1 record and is regarded as one of the better programs across the state. That didn’t bother D’Iberville.
The Warriors (9-6) handed the Wildcats their second loss of the year, 57-47.
“It’s a huge win but we don’t really have time to celebrate it,” Head coach Robin Sikes said after the game. “You lose tomorrow you go to the loser’s bracket. It’s definitely a great win over a living legend, coach (Ron) Norman. He’s one of the best.”
Guards Le’Vontae Evans and Gabriel Wells carried the load on the scoring front for D’Iberville. Evans put up 18 while Wells added 15. The two combined for 12 fourth quarter points.
“I wish they could see the blood, sweat, tears those guys put in behind closed doors,” Sikes said. “That’s all it is, hard work.”
D’Iberville advances onward in the tournament to face Yazoo City in the semifinal.
Explosive second half carries Gulfport
Kedrick Osby and Moss Point were rolling by halftime. The Tigers had a 31-24 lead and Osby was already up to 19 points in a dazzling display of scoring.
A lot can change in eight minutes, however. By the time the fourth quarter started, Gulfport had stolen the lead and built it into a double-digit advantage. The Admirals then cruised to a 68-47 win.
“We just had to calm down a little bit,” Gulfport head coach Owen Miller said. “We were real quick offensively... we were out of sync, had some unforced turnovers and we weren’t getting good shots.”
Not only did the Admirals find a rhythm on the offensive side of the floor, but Miller made adjustments that stifled Moss Point’s production.
Daryl Osby’s Tiger team mustered up just three points in the third quarter and Kedrick scored just three more points in the entire second half.
The aforementioned Gill came through with clutch baskets from multiple spots on the floor. Gill buried four triples and used his wiry frame to get to the basket frequently.
“(Gill) played really good,” Miller said. “He’s a good shooter. He’s starting to find his rhythm a little bit... we’ve got to find him more.”
Gulfport moves on and plays Picayune in the second round. The Admirals have not won their own tournament since 2012.
Picayune 52, Wayne County 50
Josh Holmes had the ball in his hands with 10 fourth quarter points already in the score books. He had nearly single-handedly pulled the Maroon Tide back into the game in the final minutes and had an opportunity to deliver the killing blow.
At just under 10 seconds on the clock, Holmes drove left and put up a high floated that careened off the side of the rim. The ball landed right back into his hands and the junior immediately tossed it back up. This time the ball kissed the glass and fell through the hoop with four seconds left on the clock.
Wayne County’s desperation three-ball would not land and Picayune moved on in the winner’s bracket. Holmes scored 20 points in the game and was aided by Troy Carter’s 17.
Yazoo City 57, Harrison Central 51
Arguably the two most talented teams in Gulfport this week, Yazoo City and Harrison Central put on a thrilling show.
The Indians scored the final six points of the game to move on to the second round. The Red Rebels had to play a chunk of the second half without star forward Sam Murray, who left in the third quarter with an apparent lower body injury.
Murray had already missed several games this season with what head coach Boo Hardy called a tweaked knee. Scoring point guard Demarius Coleman was also lost late in the fourth quarter with a lower body injury.
Without its top scorers, Harrison Central was outscored 8-2 in the final moments of a hard-fought contest.
Murray and Coleman would each finish with 15 points. Murray added six boards, four assists, three steals and two blocks.
